Building-block.



G. A. SWANSON.

BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 2, 1913 1,097,148. Patented May 19, 1914.

6 F/"g Z WITNESSES: INYEIITOR. A/ 6 6w: 4 0700/1600 6. I I u UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I ,097,148. Specification of Letters Patent.

I ing my invention. section of the same.

To all nc/10m it may concern Be. it known that I, Gross A. SwANsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle int-he county of King and State of \Vashingtoh, have invented certain new and useful.Improvements in' Building-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in construction blocks for the walls of buildings, and has for its object the'provision of a novel system of wall construction employing' blocks each unitof which is provided with inter-fittingkey-devices of simple and eliicient character whereby a building wall of any desied size 'may be read ily con- 'strueted by unskilled labor and which wall blocks in the several courses whereby said 'JOIIIiS Will not coincide 1n ad acentcourses.

With these ends in view, the invention consists in the novel construction of a system of blocks for building walls, and the combi nation and adaptation therewith of various specific devices and improvements, as will be fullydescribed in the following spccilication, illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawings, and finally set forth in the appended claim.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wall composed of blocks embody Fig. 2 is a vertical cross Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detached perspective views of the blocks embodying my invention.

Referring to said views, the reference nuineral 1 indicates a, standard unit block of my invention and is composed of a body 2 of approximately one-half the thickness of the wall and a key 3 integrally connected "to the inner face 4 ofsaid body and of substantial-l the same thickness. Said key extends long tudinally the full horizontal length of the body at equal distances from its top'and bottom edges and having its extremities terminate in the same planes as side edge 6 of the body. The outer face 5 and saidinner face 4 of the block are in parallel planes and said opposite vertical side edges 6 are in parallel p anes rectangular to said faces 4' and 5.

required.

Said top and bottomedges 7 and 7", respectively, are oppositely inclined at angle converging toward the outer face '5 of the body. Said key 3 is formed with its upper and lower edges 8, 8 in angular relation to its outer face 9 respectively converging in Patented-May 19, IQ PQ Application filed June 2, 1 serial 1 1 wardly at the same inclinations as the edges 7, 7}; said hey thus forming a dove-tailed pro ection from the body 2 of. the block. Said inner face 9 of the key isapproximately one-half the width of the outer'face 5 in vertical directions. Said block is a typical unit of construction and is utilized to a greater extent than any other form in the construction of a wall. In the building of a.wall,-

however, various other shapes of blocks are A foundationblock 10 is illus trated in Fig. 3. It is substantially a onehalfsection of the block 1, as will be clearly seen m Fig. 52. In. addition to its respective portions similar to the same relative parts of block 1. and bearing-thesame reference numoral. the block 10 is formed with a plane bottom edge ll rectangular to the side edges 6 and walls 4 and 5! In inverted osition, said block also affords a coping or nishing block as seen at the top of said view.

In constructing a wall of separate block elements, as in the present invention, it is desirable that the joints between the blocks in a course do-not coincide with the joints between the blocks of the adjacent'courses.

To provide for thus breaking the joints ofthe several courses and to provide for the construction of an exceptionally strong and interlocked corner at each of the salient angles of the building additional special corner blocks are utilized. 12, see Fig. 5;"is formed with two integral body portions 2 arranged rectangularly to each other which are each about one-half the length of the body of a standard'block 1.

An angle block A key 3 is formed on the inner face of said angle block filling out the interior angle formed by the inner. faces of said bodies. The upper and lower faces of said key are formed symmetrically upon either side of their medial diagonal line, as 13, with inclined surfaces corresponding in angle and of their vertical Side edges, as 6. is formed on a miter of approximately forty five dew,

' direction with the adjacent edges? or 7" joints covered in tum by the blocks 12 therebelow and immediately above in the next course. The mann r of constructing a Wall with blocks of my invention is believed to be obvious from the foregoing description.

After the foundation course, composed of blocks 10, has been laid, a course of blocks 1 is positloned thereon with a suitable mortar or cement filling therebetween. The

blocks in each course are laid with their corresponding exposed faces 5 or 9 facing in thesame direction and the next course above is laid oppositely interfitting with the course below and breaking joints between the blocks in the several courses, as described. The topmost course may be composed of a row of blocks 10 inverted to form a. coping, as shown and ifiscribed.

Other blocks of various sizes and designs fol special ofiices and for the production of special architectural effects may be made, employing the inventive idea of constructive and interlocking features, as herein forth, and in so far as they are included within the scope of the appended claims they are contemplated in my invention.

The invention is particularly adapted to the construction of buildings in localities subject to seismic or sardonic disturlmu-es owing to the interlocked and stable churneter of its elements.

lVhat I claim my invention, is-

In a system of interlocking building; blocks, a corner block having two integral body portions arranged rectungularly to each other, the upper and lower edges of which are formed with inclined surfaces arranged in converging angles to the outer surface thereof, and an integral key positioned in the interior angle formed by said body portions and having its upper and lower faces arranged symmetrically upon opposite sides of their media] diagonal line with inclined surfaces corresponding in angle and direction with said edges of the respective bodies.

Signed at Seattle, \Vash, this 24th day of May, 1913.

GUSS A. SWA NSON. Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, E. PnrEnsoN. 

